We recently connected with Jill Palese and have shared our conversation below.
Jill , appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
Creativity is a human requirement for happiness and well-being, a basic need. Being deprived of creative stimulation can adversely affect us. Since earliest human history, people have made art, produced designs, innovations, and expressions of beauty, proving that creativity is less a luxury than a yearning.
Creativity + innovation = Happiness
As a 20+ year clothing designer and now the founder of my own sustainable swim and activewear brand, Call To Action®, I make it a priority to surround myself with like-minded people. Sharing time in studios, having meaningful conversations about new projects and collaborative problem-solving keeps the colorful side of my brain tingling. Often, the most inspiration comes from someone who is not in the same field but who overlaps in innovation, experience, or discipline.
Collaboration + Open Mind = Creative Growth
Collaboration with other creatives makes my heart beat faster. I’ve learned (the hard way!) that this practice requires a lot of good communication and respect for boundaries. Over the years, I’ve experienced tremendous enrichment through collaboration with designers and artists; friends whose beautiful work I admire immensely. To share my learning, each party must be able to: 1) relinquish some amount of control, 2) be open-minded to new ideas 3) gently nudge each other forward with respect 4) trust each other and their work. It must be mutually beneficial.
An example of the collaborative work are these ethereal underwater images, created side by side with several amazingly talented friends. The subjects in the images are wearing Call To Action® pieces captured by the lens of fine art photographer, Alyssa Fortin who specializes in underwater photography. The professional ballet dancers seen in the images are extraordinarily talented Boston based performers from Northeast Arts. Seema Krish of Seema Krish Design designed the original textile print seen on the bikini worn by dance protege Evelyn Netishen; a hand block print currently sold in the home interior market.
For creative rejuvenation, I opt to unplug from technology and take a break from that digital hustle. I find my most immediate inspiration from the world around me, whether it be a 20 minute “forest bath” or a trip to a new and unusual place. Seeking out interesting architecture, unexpected landscape, an all-day hike, and inhaling new vistas never fail to turbo-boost my creativity. New discoveries and conversations with a captivating stranger will undoubtedly ignite ideas and inspiration.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Jill Palese, founder of Call to Action® Clothing. Fiercely committed to smart design for climate change, I am focused on delivering re-imagined women’s swimwear, infusing technology and style into the Fashion. Conscious. ® collection. I spend quite a bit of time working on making big improvements to the sustainability of swimwear and technical fabrics. It’s critically important to move forward in this segment of the apparel industry.
The future is bright for this woman-owned startup company. A lifelong environmentalist and professional clothing designer with expertise in Women’s swimwear, I apply a depth of industry knowledge to C2A with vision stemming from years creating for large brands. My goal is to build eco-innovation and understanding of textile fibers and garment construction toward the creation of new ideas in women’s swimwear and clothing. That said, I have big plans for Call to Action® and have been working to disrupt women’s swimwear and activewear with patent- pending technology. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if women could feel comfortable and confident in their clothing while also moving the needle ahead environmentally?
The company’s name informs all that is yet to come at Call to Action Clothing as much as it informed the carefully considered business decisions back in 2020 when we made the difficult choice to “pause and pivot”. The pandemic hit just months before the planned launch of the brand. It seems like an obvious, yet difficult choice to pause the brand’s own work to respond to the needs of our skilled team in the Caribbean along with the local Boston Community. By diverting funds and production time the company was able to produce close to 9,500 class 1 medical isolation gowns, along with help from community and friends, Call To Action was able to donate close to $200,000 worth of PPE to local hospitals and frontline workers before I even launched the company. For C2A, a unique concept of “smart design”, means that every part of the design process is valuable, including each person on our team and every decision made on behalf of the environment.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The catalyst for profound personal growth has derived from several unplanned, arduous journeys. With each experience, I have emerged with new knowledge that had been undeveloped before; experiencing failure, learning to trust, and embracing grit. During the most difficult times, I didn’t think “Wow, I’m really becoming a stronger person”, but in fact that’s exactly what happened.
Failure is embarrassing! It’s difficult on self-esteem, time-consuming and expensive. However, failure left me supremely thankful for the impactful people who were patient with me while I “licked my wounds” and helped me find the confidence to try again. If you find yourself deep in the middle of epic failure, give yourself grace and try to find gratitude for the experience. You absolutely will emerge a stronger and better person once you fight your way through it. The reward for the adventure will be great personal growth and self-awareness.
Share trust with a small group of people. They are the most reliable confidants, with whom you can depend on unconditionally. From time to time, re-evaluate and update the “Trust Circle”, expanding to include new people and/or decreasing as necessary. I’ve learned that it’s important to perform a “gut check” from time to time and occasionally to make wise edits without guilt. Eliminating someone from the tight circle doesn’t mean that you are removing them from your life, but it’s wise to feel a sense of security around the people who offer their love and protection. Do not to forget to return the favor, when called upon. It’s a two-way street.
Grit is something earned through hard work, life experience (both good and bad), and overcoming major challenges. People are not born with grit, it’s something that happens over time, making you unafraid to stare down the most difficult things. If you’re a person who is not gritty yet, you aren’t working hard enough, or your life is much too posh (kidding!). Grab every opportunity to jump at the difficult things, rather than putting it on someone else. You’ll take pride in the dented armor that will suit you well.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
What’s YOUR call to action? I heart talented, likeminded people and there’s important work to be done. Are you passionate about making change in a creative way or sincerely interested in adding momentum to the mission of sustainable clothing. Call to Action would love to hear about it.
Please reach out to me though Instagram @C2Aclothing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.CallToActionClothing.com
- Instagram: @C2Aclothing
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-palese
Image Credits
Gulnara Niaz: @GNstudio_Boston Alyssa Fortin Photography @Alyssamfortinphotography
